The solar lighting industry is a relatively new underdeveloped market. Many manufactures often just throw various incompatible components together (kind of like a Franken-Fixture) and call it a lighting unit. Or you may even find yourself coming across cheap international units from sites that also sell solar dancing flowers (seriously!). Either way there are virtually no companies committed to creating perfectly engineered solar lighting units… until now.

Valen Light has developed the most comprehensive solar lighting line in the world, the eSHINE Series. The eSHINE Series is the first solar lighting product on the market to seamlessly integrate and conceal the complex elements of a solar lighting system. It is the first architectural grade product set that can be integrated into various landscape, site, and area lighting plans to provide a complete off-grid solution. Each system is custom-engineered to meet the specific environmental requirements of any given location. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Valen Light manages each aspect of its lighting products’ production in-house, which results in incredibly high quality and long lasting lighting systems.

The PanelsBest-in-class, highly efficient solar panels are specially designed to repel dust, rain and snow while maximizing output.

The FixturesThe eSHINE Series LED fixture delivers best-in-class efficacy at 130+ lumens/watt. This allows us to use smaller solar engine configurations while delivering maximum light output. This lowers the total fixture system cost without compromising reliability or performance. The eSHINE Series is capable of delivering over 15,000 lumens with four to five days of backup power and all night operation. There are no other solar manufacturers providing this level of performance. Better performance means lower material costs and faster installation for your project.

The PolesThe eSHINE Solar Pole is specially designed to house all electrical components within the pole base. The eSHINE Solar Pole is offered in five different sizes, each designed to suit a different set of project requirements, fixtures, and locations.

The BatteriesThe eSHINE Series is manufactured with proprietary, all-weather batteries, which are the longest lasting batteries on the market and operate reliably at -39 to 159°F. With lifetimes of 7 to 10 years, the system will require little maintenance.​Valen Light sets the bar for commercial solar lighting, why even consider anything else!

Did you know that the Earth has lost a third of its suitable land in the past 40 years. Or that 20% of the Earth's oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest. Maybe you even read that the Earth has lost 40% of its wildlife in the past 40 years, according to the WWF. Our precious planet is 4.543 billion years old and only getting older, let's do our best to preserve & secure another 4 billion years.

Here are some ways how:

Conserve Water

Turn off the faucet while brushing those pearly whites or washing dishes, rinse after

Don’t use too much running water for your plants, try to store up rain water instead

Fix any leaky faucets and install water saving devices on faucets or toilets

Recycle

It takes over a million years for glass to decompose, so don't throw it in the trash

Recycled paper takes 74% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution to make

If an office building of 7,000 workers recycled all of its office paper waste for a year, it would be the equivalent of taking almost 400 cars off the road

Solar Roadways (U.S. based company), is developing a solar pavement that will generate electricity and send it to the power grid. Embedded with low power LED guidance lights, these hexagon shaped paving panels will be used to potentially mark roadways and charge electric cars while in transit.

This new tech may begin testing since the Federal Highway Administration has granted a Phase II for development of the prototype back in 2011. Testing will prove difficult with choosing the right glass substance that will prove durable against traction, loads and impact resistance.

Although implementation of these products on major roadways may never be in this century. Ember LED through Valen Light Manufacturers currently provides street and roadway solar lighting with our variety of eSHINE products. These commercial grade lighting fixtures are all the innovation you'll need to provide dependable and high grade solar lighting for any application. Even our exclusive Vertaic Bollards can provide the high level of impact resistance developers of these solar roadways are attempting to achieve.

While solar roadways are decades away from being a reality, Valen Lights eSHINE series for street and roadway lighting is today! You can go straight to our product builder and create the optimal street lighting system for your location today.

Valen Lights Vertaic Bollards are the only solar bollards of it’s kind to date. You may see a lot of makeshift solar bollards all over the web. Many of them only have a small panel on top and are motioned-censored, which seriously limit the amount of light output per fixture. These units pale in comparison to our Vertaic line.

​The VERTAIC Bollard is the only solar bollard on the market that can do a one-for-one replacement of traditional wired bollard lights. Having solar panels installed on all sides, the Vertaic Bollard absorbs ambient light as well as direct sunlight. This makes the Vertaic Bollard ideal for any outdoor lighting project that has limited access to grid-powered electricity or is a new development. Our Bollards are powered using only solar energy, but they're also manufactured using the latest in LED chips. All night operation, 365 days a year is guaranteed. In fact, our Vertaic Bollard's have optics and lumen output that rival any grid-powered product on the market. As with all of our eSHINE products, each system is custom designed to match the project and environment.

With the dawn of cold weather upon us and the prospect of snow storms, long dark days and low temperature, you may be wondering about how to take care of your solar panels in the snow... Not to worry! Ember LED is here to tell you how you can best take care of your solar LED lighting systems in the coming winter months and feel prepared for inclement weather conditions.

DO NOTHING

Yep, that's right! After a storm, it is best to just sit tight and wait for the snow to melt. Why, you ask? Well, because solar panels are optimized to face the sun to receive optimum light and snow easily melts off the panels, so there is no cleaning necessary!

GIVE THE SNOW SOMEWHERE TO GO

If happen to live in a snowier climate where piles of snow accumulates for days at a time, it may be worth looking into cleaning below the solar panels with a roof rake so the snow has a place to go after it drops off of the panels. However, under to circumstance is it wise to take a roof rake or metal edge to a solar panels to scrape off of the snow. Doing this risks potential damage to your system, so take caution when deciding use any device to clean around or near your solar panels.

PLAY TENNIS

Well....sort of. Using a soft, spongy nerf or tennis ball has been said by blogger Christof Demont-Heinrich to be an effective snow removal method. In essence, this tennis match involves bouncing a tennis ball off of solar panels to make the snow shift and shimmy its way off the panel and onto the ground below. Although this sounds like a fun way to remove snow, it can damage solar panels if played too rough, and this method is unlikely to work in areas that accumulates large amounts of snow of over 12 inches.

USE A 45 DEGREE ANGLE.

We always recommend our panels to be installed at a 45 degree angle for optimal sun exposure. And in cold weather, this angle proves even more beneficial because it allows snow to drop off of the edge of the solar panel and prevents accumulation. If you are located in a particularly cold area that is prone to heavy snow, we recommend no less than a 40 degree angle to ensure optimum performance.

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for friends, family, health, happiness, and the planet, too! In addition to checking out Ember LED's blog posts on the sustainable solar technology, read on to learn how you can be green this Thanksgiving!

1. Carpool and use Public Transportation.

Are you one of the 46.9 million Americans expected to travel during Thanksgiving this year? If so, it may be worth looking into public transportation or carpooling options. By posting on your local townships Facebook page, community forum or website, you may be able to find others in your area that are traveling in the direction you are going in for the holiday. Alternatives like ZipCar and Enterprise Car Share are also great affordable options.

2. It's about portion control.

And not control about just what's on your plate. As you begin to prepare your Thanksgiving dinner, do not overcook! Ask your guests to prepare a dish to share so that you utilize minimal ingredients and have your stove, oven and microwave running for less time than necessary. Moreover, if you start to feel full, don't fill your plate. Be conscious of your food intake. Your pants will thank you, and so will your garbage can.

3. Invite a turkey to dinner... but don't eat one.

Each year, 46 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving, and at a high cost. Not only is it expensive, the cost of food waste exceeds 250 million, and the cost of water production to feed, slaughter and distribute the Thanksgiving bird reaches over 100 billion gallons. This year, try eliminating meat from the table, and substituting meat proteins with substitutes like Tofu, such as the industry staple Tofurkey or VegeUSA's whole Tofu Bird.

4. Provide doggie bags to your guests and neighbors.

Thanksgiving is a notorious holiday for food waste, so don't hoard your leftovers. Provide your guests with dishes to take home food for the next few days, and be sure you save some for yourself, too. Also, head to your local religious organization, charity or food donation center to provide food for those who aren't able to celebrate the holiday feast this year. 5. Clean green.

​As much as Thanksgiving preparation can be sustainable, so can the cleaning up! Use products like Earth Friendly Products and Seventh Generation around your home to wash the kitchen countertops, floors and dining room tables. Use rags instead of paper towels, and turn off the water when you add soap as you hand wash your dishes.

As we look to more environmentally sustainable ways to travel, such as electric cars and the Hyperloop, solar LED lighting options are becoming an attractive possibility for railway and transit stations. And because trains often run in remote locations that can be challenging to light, Ember LED's eSHINE solar LED and vSHINE LED series can be ideal for such applications. Our fixtures are powerful, weather resistant and maintenance free, offering the best performance in all railroad locations including stations, switches, warehouses, and more. Read on to learn about where solar panels can be placed on railroad and train sites.

PEDESTRIAN TUNNELSRailroads are a reliable method for transportation in harsh weather conditions. It is important to ensure that pedestrians are able to stand in well-lit terminals and shelters, even on the snowiest night or stormiest evening. As a reliable light source that is built to work 365 days each year, wherever necessary, as long as necessary, solar LED panels and fixtures are the perfect choice to place under train, bus and other pedestrian transit shelters. One does not have to worry about the electricity failing with Solar technology. Because solar panels stores light during the day and works in cloudy weather, solar lighting is the perfect emergency backup!

BESIDE THE TRACKSWhen railroad tracks are built in remote areas, Solar Lighting is an easy choice. Installing solar lighting is worry and hassle free, and costs much less than what one pays to wire, trench and dig electric. The eSHINE fixtures mount to aesthetically sleek ePOLEs that are direct burial mounted with batteries in house.

PARKING LOTSWhere there are trains and busses, there are often large parking lots for people to leave and store their cars. Ember LEDs eSHINE Street and eSHINE Area systems are the perfect lighting options for new parking lots at train stops.

​If you are creating a new building, sign or street, you are in a perfect place to seize the opportunity of utilizing solar lighting. Not only will you save time and money by eliminating the costs of digging, trenching and lighting these new sites, you'll save money on your energy bill after installation.

​2. The application is off-grid.The bulk of lighting installation costs comes from the digging, trenching and wiring that must occur to wire electric to a new site. When you install solar lighting, all of those costs are eliminated. Instead of paying thousands of dollars to contractors and electrical engineers with the hopes of wiring electric to your site, go the solar route. Instead of jumping through hoops and wires, off-grid solar lighting can be easily installed in a matter of hours. For example, Ember LED's eSHINE series comes with eSHINE poles: our all inclusive battery and solar lighting system that comes at 6ft., 10 ft., 15 ft., 20 ft., 25 ft. and 30 ft. levels.

3. Your business is suffering from high energy bills.You've heard it before: Solar lighting will save you money on the long-term. Not only will solar lighting make your business more attractive to buyers, tax incentives are available statewide to those who choose to "go green" and light their business using solar powered energy. Not to mention, any energy that you do not use for your business that is connected to the grid is given back to the city, which places extra money directly in your pocket. Isn't that awesome?4. Because green is the new black. ​Solar lighting is green, renewable AND cool. As climate change continues to dominate the news and people are looking for more ways to be sustainable, lighting agents and businesses that jump on the socially responsible bandwagon are likely to receive positive feedback from their customers, clients and employees.

Business owners tackle problems every day ranging from office supply procurement to acquiring new clients and business. The last thing C-level executives and business developers have time for is worrying about their energy bills and finding time to save money. Luckily, if informed salespersons are able to ask ONE KEY QUESTION, money can be made and saved for you and your client.

By asking the question: IS THERE WIRING ON SITE? to any business looking to light a new sign, parking lot or asset to their company, you'll be saving money for your client on the short-term AND long-term.

The primary concern we hear most often at Ember LED is whether or not solar lighting systems are going to work on rainy, cloudy or stormy days and during the winter. To ensure top of line performance and quality systems, Ember LED's products are designed by expert engineers who utilize data provided by NREL and NASA.

​Your system will be designed specifically to your geographic region, application need and light specification to last for as long as necessary, wherever necessary, 365 days each year. That's our promise.

For more information about what you'll need to solar light your clients next project, contact us at info@emberled.com or 201.228.0880.​

Solar LED Lighting can last all night, every night, 365 days each year. Ember LED's solar eSHINE lighting systems designed and manufactured by Valen Light will function in the darkest corners of North America, like Seattle, WA.

But what about those projects that are in forests, tunnels or shaded areas? Can solar work there, too? The answer is yes, and has everything to do with where you place your solar panels!

WHERE YOU CANPLACE YOUR SOLAR PANELS:

IN THE SUN,or what is often referred to as "open exposure." This means that solar panels must be placed in a location without trees, buildings or large structures blocking the face of the panel from the sun. Moreover, when lighting locations in the Northeast, all panels should have a 45 degree tilt.

In the instance that you need to have lights in shaded areas, such as along wooded path, as long as the solar panels that are connected to your LED fixtures are in a location that that receives complete exposure to light during the peak sun hours of the day and is properly installed, your light is sure to shine bright. The eSHINE Pathway and eSHINE Parkfixtures are perfect options for parks projects or walking paths.

WHERE YOU CAN'T PLACE YOUR SOLAR PANELS:

IN THE SHADE, such as beneath a canopy of trees, beside a large building or blocked by a sign.For projects that are placed in highly shaded locations that do not allow light to pass through, unless there is a gap in the shaded tree area you are trying to light or a sunny side of a building, solar lighting will not work in these areas.